MacBook Air M5 16GB/512 or M4 24GB/1TB?

[Howard2k]

Between those two I'd take the M5, given the described usage.

 

[Kriss_De_Valnor]

Trying to decide between an M5 MacBook Air 16GB/512 for $949 on Amazon, or an M4 24GB/1TB for $1189.

I'll be upgrading from a 2020 MacBook Pro with 8Gb of ram and 256 mb HD. I won't be doing any heavy gaming or video editing, but want to have something that will last about the next 5 to 7 years without having to worry about upgrading again.
Is it better to go with the M5 Processor or the M4 with 24GB of ram and double the HD space?

Thanks.

One day you may find a hobby like photography for example. Never say never to new things! You will fire up Lightroom or DXO PhotoLab or any other software, load a few RAW photos and then having 24GB of RAM is handy. I would go for that M4 24GB/1TB.

 

[geta]

This, I went with the extra headroom when I was configuring and M5 Air vs M5 Pro.
In both cases I wanted more memory and storage for long term compatibility.

In the end I went 24GB/1TB

OTOH, a modern external SSD with a fast enclosure will be as fast as onboard storage over TB4/TB5.

Except for backups and/or data storage, using an external SSD on a daily basis is less convenient.

 

[JamesMay82]

I'd go for higher spec M4 but I'd also have a look to see if there are any high spec pro's going for cheap with authorised resellers.. there are some high spec bargains about if your lucky.